Pressures on Silo Walls

Abstract

Overpressures up to four times the static pressure have been measured during discharge of sand from a model silo. The overpressures can be associated with the fundamental flow patterns. Design and calibration of the pressure cells ensured that underegistration and arching did not occur. The work suggests that previous pressure measurements may be unreliable due to inadequate pressure measuring devices. The measured overpressures were generally greater than those recommended for use in design by the recently revised German and Russian codes. A more conservative design approach is suggested herein.